the Newsof - Adult Care of Chester County

the
News of
Happy One-Hundredth Birthday!
The highlight of December at our Southern Chester County Center was the
100th birthday of one of our participants. Evie Harmon turned 100 this past
month and we celebrated with a big birthday bash!
Her wish was to have a dance with “the
man in the tux,” Bari, one of our staff
members from the Exton Center. Bari
happily made this wish come true for
Evie and the two shared a dance at her
birthday party.
A special cake from Baskin Robbins
gleamed with candles that showed “100”
and the whole group was able to share in
a really special day for Evie.
We are all so thankful for Evie and her
attendance here at Adult Care of Chester
County. She is an inspiration and so active
in all the things we do each day.
A very Happy 100th Birthday to
Evelyn Harmon!
January 2012
In This Issue…
A Very Important Survey
Christmas Festivities
Ideas for managing the
flu this season
Message from the CEO
Thanks to our recent
donors
Upcoming Events for
Caregivers
The mission of Adult Care of
Chester County is to support
and empower families in their
caregiving experience by
offering them a welcoming,
friendly day service that
provides state of the art care
from a highly trained,
relentlessly competent, and
compassionate staff dedicated
to enabling their loved ones to
physically and cognitively
thrive so they can remain at
home for as long as possible.
Exton Center at 201 Sharp Lane, Exton, PA 19341 | 610.363.8044
Southern Center at 747 W. Cypress Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 | 610.444.4413
Visit us online at www.acofcc.org
2
Upcoming Events for Caregivers
Care Connection: A Free Teleconference
“The Biology of Dementias: Why People Can Remember 30
Years Ago, But Not Remember Eating Breakfast”
Thursday, January 12th at 1:00 pm
Call toll-free 877-232-2992 and use guest ID 271004#
FTD Caregiver Conference
Saturday, February 4th from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm
University of Pennsylvania, Biomedical Research Building
421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia
Event is free, but pre-registration is required
Register at surveymonkey.com/s/UPennConference2012
Tax Talk for Caregivers
Saturday, February 11th at 10:00 am
Adult Care of Chester County’s Exton Center
201 Sharp Lane, Exton, PA
Caregiver Coffee Hour at
Adult Care of Chester County
Looking for a convenient way to get in touch with
other local caregivers? Don’t forget that Adult Care
of Chester County hosts a Caregiver Coffee Hour
twice each month on the second and fourth Mondays. We begin at 10:30 and usually end around
noon. You are welcome to come anytime and no
registration is required.
Coffee Hour Topics for January
January 9th: Making Your New
Year’s Resolutions. Include these
10 tips for a healthy caregiver
January 23rd: Feeling the Winter
Blues? Tips for recognizing, managing, and preventing depression.
Call Kim at 610-363-8044 for more information.
President’s Message
This holiday season has been amazing! The programs that our participants have experienced have been
wonderful and they have enjoyed them immensely! It’s rare to be able to see such a variety of talent
from the dancers from West Chester Dance Works to the choir members from Henderson High
School. We’re excited to make these performances available to our participants, some of whom don’t
have opportunity to get out in the community to attend similar events. The Holiday Dinner gave the
opportunity for more than 130 people the chance to congregate and share this special time of
year. Families met their ACCC friends and were treated to special talents and good company. We are
very happy to be able to bring special programs and activities to our participants. They deserve the
best we can give them in programs and in the care we provide each day. We are happy to be part of your care team and
hope to remain an integral part of that team in the future.
In addition, I want to share exciting news. Our website has been re-designed and includes a video featuring some of our
family caregivers from past and present sharing their thoughts about the center. This winter, the site will list inclement
weather notices at the top of the home page. The site is also in larger print than before.
Best Wishes for a Happy New Year,
Celebration Corner
Happy Birthday this Month
Susie F., and Flora J.
Welcoming New Participants
Albert J., Robert P., Thomas T., Helen K., and Kenneth M.
NOTICE: We are OPEN on
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
January 16th
3
Christmas Excitement at Exton Center
At both centers this month, we had some exciting holiday events. At the Exton Center, we welcomed the Concert and
Chamber Choirs from Henderson High School on December 5th. We also enjoyed a performance by the Lukens Steel
Band on December 14th and a performance of The Twelve Days of Christmas in dance by the West Chester Dance
Works. We also hosted our annual Family Dinner and Talent Show on December 3rd which was an excellent event.
Lukens Steel Band
West Chester Dance
Works perform The
Twelve Days of
Christmas
Our Annual
Holiday Dinner
& Talent Show
Choirs from
Henderson High
School
Christmas Excitement at Southern Center
The annual Christmas Party at the Southern Center was a
big occasion this month. Bill and Carol Lea came to play
their music for us and set the mood with holiday tunes for
the whole afternoon. Everyone had a great time singing
and dancing together. We had a variety of Christmas
cookies made by the staff and participants, a treat everyone really enjoyed. Later, we had a visit from Santa Claus,
thanks to Millicent’s brother-in-law. Everyone had a good
time visiting with Santa and getting their picture taken
with him. Participants from both the Senior Group and
the Under-60 Group then settled in for a nice tea along
with our homemade cookies. What a lovely afternoon!
4
Nurses Note for January
The flu season is upon us and the care team members at Adult Care of Chester County are trying to keep everyone as
healthy as possible and ask that you follow these guidelines.
Wash your hands often (with warm water and soap) to avoid germ exchange. To help keep viruses from entering your
body avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Use hand-sanitizing gels whenever water is not readily available.
Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing. If you are near someone who is sneezing or coughing, try to remain 3
feet away from them to minimize contact with airborne germ particles.
Use tissues that can be easily disposed rather than cloth hankies that require proper laundering to kill germs.
Drink lots of fluids. This will help to keep your nose and throat moist, flush germs from mucous membranes, promote good kidney function, and prevent dehydration. Decaffeinated teas and coffee, juice, soup, Jell-O, sports drinks
and frozen treats (such as popsicles and water ice) should be used to supplement water intake.
Launder linens more often when family members are ill. Avoid having damp towels and dishrags lying around since
they can harbor viruses and bacteria.
Use disposable paper products (such as paper cups) during an illness to help prevent the spread of germs.
Exposure to low temperature does not increase the risk of developing a cold, but fatigue and stress may. Make sure
you are getting enough sleep to fight fatigue, avoid stress, and exercise daily. Walking is great exercise and you can
utilize the many shopping malls in our area. Shopping malls are climate controlled, offer a walking surface that is
smooth and flat, offer lots of visual stimulation, and open early & close late to accommodate anyone’s schedule.
Winter Drop-Off ’s at Exton Center
In the winter, we become more concerned than ever about safety, especially in our parking lots. Ice, snow, and excess gravel
and salt can all be hazards for our participants. At our Exton Center, we ask that caregivers follow a few guidelines regarding dropping off their loved ones in the parking lot. If you arrive behind a bus, please wait until the bus has finished
unloading and has pulled away before helping your loved one out of your vehicle. It is much safer to assist someone inside
from directly in front of the door. Sometimes there might be a delay as we help people off the bus, but we ask that you
follow our safety procedures and do not assist your loved one out of the car until you are in front of the entrance.
An Important Survey… and a Chance to Win $50!
At Adult Care of Chester County, we strive to meet the needs of our family caregivers as well as meeting the needs of our
participants. Recently, one of the foundations that supports us financially asked “How do you know you are providing
the educational resources your family caregivers want/need?” In the past, we have asked for suggestions via our newsletters, conferences and through our past workshops attendee evaluations but this doesn’t often give a detailed picture of the
overall wants/needs of current caregivers. Our mission includes serving caregiving families as a whole and we need your
help to tell us what that means to you. We want to be sure we are providing what you need and want in terms of education and support.
Kim, Director of Family Services is preparing the Spring Family Caregiver Workshop. We have designed a survey to
gather your input on how this Workshop could be most useful for you. Your input on this survey is critical to making the workshop valuable. If we have an email address for you, you
will receive an invitation to complete the survey online. If we don’t have an email address
for you the survey will be included in this mailing, along with a return envelope. Please
return it by January 15, 2012. As an incentive for completion, if you include your name
on the completed survey, your name will be entered for a drawing. The prize will be a $50
Visa gift card the winner or a free day of care at Adult Care of Chester County.
5
Recent Donations
Below are listed donors since 8/1/2011. we thank all of our donors for their continued support of our programs.
Annual Giving Donors
Annual Report Donors
Mrs. Suzanne Cornell, in memory of John Cornell
Mrs. Eileen Greene
Mrs. Letty Dahme-Berkowitz, in honor of Kate Dahme
Mrs. Wanda Cochran, in memory of Dr. Norman A. Cochran Sr.
Mrs. Elizabeth Waldenmaier, in memory of Robert Waldenmaier
Mr. Kenneth Shull
Ms. Margaretta Monville, in memory of Nancy Monville
Ms. Patricia Sponaugle, in honor of Louise Pizzi
Mrs. Marjorie Knox
Mr. Cecil Anderson
Ms. Louise LaMastra, in honor of Clara DiPrimio
Mr. Allen Mowery, in memory of Helen Mowery
Mr. Chester Rozmarynowski, in honor of Loretta R.
Mrs. Joan DeMichiel, in honor of Sargio DeMichiel
Mr. Vincent Cianfaro, in memory of Evelyn Cianfaro
Mr. Thomas Weidner, in memory of Emelia Weidner
Ms. Priscilla Williamson, in memory of Joe Williamson
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Yoder, in memory of Bernard Roney
Mr. William Jacoby, in memory of Sophie Jacoby
Mrs. Marilyn Seeger, in memory of Ruth Mercer
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Tosi
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Delphais
Mrs. Andrea Schmidt, in honor of Stanley Lojewski
Mrs. Anna Verduci, in honor of Angelo Verduci
Mrs. Mildred Culp, in memory of Elwood Culp
Ms. Mary Decker, in memory of James Corle
Dr. & Mrs. Robert Mesaros
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Phillips, in memory of Florence Phillips
Mrs. Ruth Petkofsky
Mrs. Jane Moyer, in memory of Harold Moyer
Mr. Adam Udell, in honor of Mary Udell and memory of Clifford Udell
Mr. William Logue, in memory of Nancy Logue
Ms. Miriam Flynn, in memory of Billy Bauernschmidt
Mrs. Mildred Fite, in honor of Trout and Fite Families
Mr. & Mrs. Francis Brennan
Ms. Lois Hanna
Mrs. Anne Manogue, in memory of Loretto Sanderson
Mrs. Edna Freud, in memory of David J. Freud
Mrs. Angela Dehning
Ms. Helen Zenuk
Mrs. Doris Mazzio, in memory of Vito Mazzio
Mrs. Kathleen Wickersham, in memory of John & Ida Shay
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Parsons
Mr. & Mrs. John Asherman Jr., in honor of John Asherman, Sr.
Mrs. Noreen Crowley
Ms. Diane Cornell, in memory of John Cornell
Ms. Kathryn Longenecker, in memory of Walter
Longenecker
Basket Bingo Donors
Landis Valley Museum
Ron's Original Bar and Grille
Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
Matlack Florist
Brandywine Ballet Company
Chick Fil A
American Helicopter Museum
Bob Evans Farms
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Outback Steak House
ACME Markets
People's Light & Theatre
Arasapha Farms
Genuardi's Markets
Seven Stars Inn
Hershey Bears
Shady Maple Farm Market and Brandywine River Museum
Smorgasbord
Choo Choo Barn
Creeds Seafood and Steaks
Longwood Gardens
The National Toy Train
Rainbow Dinner Theatre
Museum
Basket Bingo Sponsors
TD Bank
DLS Accounting Services
Barclay Friends
Phoenixville Area Senior Center
General Donations
Mrs. Mary Metzger
Mrs. Mary Phillips
Ms. Georgine Rossi, in honor of
the 50th Wedding of William and Judith Cheney
Mrs. Melanie Leroy, in honor of
Joe Maranella's 60th birthday
Ms. Mary McLaughlin, in memory of Molly Gibbons
Ms. Lois Hahn
Ms. Marie Gerrold
Ms. Debbie Bauernschmidt, in honor of Tommy Keen
Mrs. Thomas Owens
Mrs. Anthony Iraca
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Morley
United Methodist Women
Ms. Carol DeSousa
AccuCheck Advantage Blood Glucometers Available
We recently received a donation from the Coatesville VA of 100 brand-new,
AccuCheck Advantage Blood Glucometers still sealed in boxes. They don’t include strips, but strips can be obtained with a doctor’s script from your local
pharmacy. If you’re interested in one of these, please contact Kim or Marcia at
610-363-8044 and we can send one home with your participant. This is a great
opportunity to upgrade your machine if your current one is old, or to just have a
spare one on hand.
Closed: March 24th, 2012
Please note on your 2012 calendars: Adult Care of Chester County will be closed on Saturday, March 24th for the annual
Spring Staff In-Service Day. This yearly training day is an important part of our staff education. If your loved one normally attends on Saturdays, please be reminded that we will not be open on March 24th. Thank you.
Reprints of Holiday Photos
Like the holiday photo we sent home with your loved one? We’re happy to make extra prints, or
email you the jpg file, if you’d like additional copies to send to family and friends. Please email
Brittany at blodge@acofcc.org to request reprints.
Prefer Texting for Information about Snow Closings?
If you’d like to receive a text message with weather-related changes to our centers’ operating hours,
please email Pat at pshull@acofcc.org and include phone number indicating that you’d like to be added
to the list.
Starting Taxes Early?
As you start to gather your information to do this year’s tax return, you will need the tax ID number of Adult Care of
Chester County, if you are claiming a Dependent Care Credit. Our number is 23-2447144.
If you’d like some tips and information on doing your taxes this year, join us for Tax Talk, Saturday, February 11th at
10:00 am. Dave Shull, who has over 25 years of accounting experience, will be leading the session. Consider attending this
session to learn about the tax benefits you can receive for caring for a loved one at home as well as some helpful tips to
help you take full advantage of some of the newer tax laws relating to energy, medical, children, education, and more.
RSVP to Kim at 610-363-8044. Your loved one can join in our usual Saturday activities while you attend the meeting.
Donors,
continued
Grant: Health and Welfare Foundation of SCC
Grant: Westminster Presbyterian Church
Memorial Gift: Ms. Marilyn Harris, in memory of
Twinkles, the ACCC bunny
United Way of Southeast Delaware County: Mr. Donald Shields
United Way of Southeast Delaware County: Ms. Katherine Plante
Summer Campaign: Susanne Gore
Contributors
Board of Directors
Reflections from Southern Center submitted
monthly by Ruth Ann Smith. Exton Spotlight
articles submitted by Pat DeHart. All articles
edited and arranged by Brittany Mountz.
Chair, Linda M. Rhodes, Ed.D
Treasurer, Joseph Stratton, MBA
Chair-Elect, Amy Balian
Secretary, Judith Royal, MBA
Members:
Christine Cucinotta, Karen Kaminskas, Bernice Soffer, MSW,
Thomas Egan, Ed.D., and Alice Peters
www.acofcc.org